If my memory is correct, when U.S. News first did college rankings, it was based on a survey of college presidents. That always seemed to me to be the best way to do it. It has a certain merit, but one also takes it with a grain of salt. Trying to make it objective is probably no more accurate.It also has unfortunate consequences. Sometimes it leads schools to do things to game the system.But a survey of college presidents probably only works when the survey, like the originial, was only about the top 25 universities and liberal arts colleges. That would hurt U.S. News' business model.

Who can we discriminate against? In the old days Harvard discriminated against the Jews. California discriminates against Asians. No quotas for/against rednecks, Christianists or other disliked minorities? fls was discriminated against for lack of reasoning power. Sowell says schools disciminate when they admit unqualified students who will be unable to pass the bar. I have not passed a bar in years, always go in.